patrol steel wheel nut tension

Sorry, changed the photo and you can't see the vehicle on this one.
It's a 2003 GU 4.2tdi ute.
Thanks, Geoff

We've towed it on the GCR, Oodnadatta track, Strezlecki and the Tanaimi with little or no trouble. I made up aluminium covers for just about every thing underneath which saved a lot of problems, you can tell by just looking at them, all bent and dented. The only trouble we had, after we got all the quality control issues sorted out under warranty, was the en suite door fell off, on the blacktop and stones demolished the water drain pipes. We're taking it down the GCR again next year so we can't be worried about it. Apart from the original quality control problems we're very happy with it.
Just thought I'd mention that on the Tanimi we broke an upgraded leaf spring on the patrol ute but the bump that did that did not damage the Jayco.
Geoff

Dunno what book that bloke was reading, but the generally accepted torque value for 12mm (HT) fasteners is around 80 lb ft...

Nissan's recommendation is 108 - 147 Nm, or 87 - 108 lb ft..
(same as GU, same size studs;-))

70 lb ft is applicable to 7/16" (early Holden size) studs, and may be all well and good, but you'd want to be checking them regularly...

;-))

80ft lb is what the original Nissan Workshop Manual specifies for the GQ.

It should be a pretty simple task to check with your local Nissan dealer.

Duncs

Ed, How do you go about obtaining the "correct seating/centreing of the wheel on the hub"?

I would think that the purpose of the conical part of the nuts was to position the wheel correctly. The hole in the centre of the wheel needs to have some clearance over the hub to allow ease of mounting so therefore no load could be supported here. As the nuts are tightened the conical faces pull the wheel into the correct position in regard to the axis with the axial load being supported by the conical faces which also ensure that the wheel stud-holes are centred over the studs.

Maybe I am missing something?

Allan,
What you say is quite correct in theory, and this is indeed the purpose of the conical nut/seat..

However, in practice, experience has taught me that if you just 'zip 'em up' without paying attention to (what I would call) correct centreing procedure, there is a high likelihood that the the nuts will not be perfectly centred in their seats..
What happens then is, during normal driving, the nuts will self-centre, and will now be at less than the prescribed tension.. no problem if they are checked & re-tensioned before they have a chance to come loose..
If not checked in time, the nuts _WILL_ become loose, and well, just ask the many owners of Nissan Patrols (and no doubt other makes) who have lost a wheel, what happens next?

How do I go about obtaining the "correct seating/centreing of the wheel on the hub"?

OK, since you asked, this is how I go about it..

While the wheel is off the ground, I do all the nuts up finger-tight only, and then give the outer circumference of the tyre a 'good ol' thumpin'' with the heel of my hand, while 'snugging up' the nuts with the other hand.. (rotating the wheel/tyre while doing this is optional, & not a bad idea IMO)...

Having satisfied myself that the nuts are indeed centred in their seats, I then proceed to torque 'em up, in stages, and in opposite sequence... final tension with the wheel on the ground, and re-check within 50 -100 km or so, depending on circumstances..

That's how I go about it, and I drive with 100% confidence that the wheels are going to remain attached to the vehicle (until I choose to remove them)..

YMMV

;-))

Ed, thank you for that.

I already do the same, getting the nuts as tight as possible before lowering to the ground. I was reading more into your "centreing of the wheel on the hub" than I should have, expecting that you did something to the wheel/hub before snigging the nuts.

Yes, I have seen someone simply run the nuts up with the fingers before lowering the wheel to the ground for wheel-brace tightening. This results in the stud being pushed to one side of the hole before it is tightened. Not good.

I believe lubrication of both the threads and the conical surfaces to also be essential. But I have not been using a torque wrench ...... I will consider doing that.